The rivalry between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid has intensified as Diego Simeone continued his war of words with Carlo Ancelotti, bringing up the Real Madrid manager's past comments to question his current stance.
The dispute began when Simeone implied that refereeing decisions have favored Real Madrid for "100 years," specifically referencing their recent 5-2 Copa del Rey victory over Celta Vigo where a penalty appeal from the away side was dismissed.
Ancelotti's response came with a pointed remark about "thorns that might hurt," while Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos added fuel to the fire by suggesting Simeone hasn't recovered from Atlético's Champions League final defeats to Real Madrid in 2013 and 2016.
In a Monday press conference, Simeone cleverly deflected by highlighting how both Ancelotti and Ceballos held different views when they were at other clubs. He particularly referenced Ancelotti's time at Bayern Munich, recalling the Italian manager's frustration after their 2017 Champions League quarter-final loss to Real Madrid, which Ancelotti had described as "an injustice" and "not something normal."
"I never comment on my colleagues' comments," Simeone stated. "I simply refer to memory. It's normal, they're on the team they're on. They're doing very well. They're a great team. But when they were on another team they thought something else."
The tension comes at a crucial time in the LaLiga title race, as Real Madrid has overtaken Atlético at the top of the table following their impressive 4-1 victory against Las Palmas. Meanwhile, Atlético's momentum has taken a hit after their 15-game winning streak across all competitions came to an end with a 1-0 defeat at Leganés.
